Windows Phone Thoughts: Is USB the Only Computing Standard That Works?

"There's only been one standard in the PC industry that has survived and thrived over the past decade– Universal Serial Bus, good old USB. . . . Openness has lead developers to build everything from flash memory sticks/keys to silly things like a USB-powered toothbrush. At the same time, people have stuck to the standard in a disciplined fashion without breaking it. Compare that to the freewheeling OS Linux crowd with multi-flavored "distributions" and it becomes apparent that a little too much freedom can be a bad thing. Perhaps more importantly, vendors have taken the original standard and extended it beyond USB 2.0 into two different paths. USB On-the-Go shrinks down the connector size and implements low-power features so it is easier to implement USB into portable devices, but the big wave will be to move everything into Wireless USB."

Controversial? The Inquirer does try. :) But, can you name another surviving and thriving PC standard that has stood the test of time? Perhaps I'm jaded, but one of the more interesting recent hardware changes has been the move to mini USB instead of using proprietary connectors. This has not gone unnoticed. The Consumer Electronics Association are working on a industry-wide common connector for charging and synchronising future mobiles devices and Mini-USB may well be that future standard. Whenever I travel I currently have to take a rat's nest of connecter and charging cables and anything to reduce that would be appreciated. It would be wonderful to freely interchange cables, connectors and peripherals. Ah, the blessing of standards. Ironically the restrictions they bring can grant consumers greater freedom. At this point should I mention the benefits to Europe of the common GSM mobile telephone standard? ;-) Now, if only someone would set SD as the common media card standard across all mobile devices. . . :grumble: